Put an Enter The Worship Circle CD into the player, close your eyes and imagine yourself sitting around in your living room with a group of friends who have brought guitars and drums of all kinds. You begin to play, pray and worship. The Holy Spirit fills the room and you are carried away with joy and wonder about being in the presence of the Lord. You have entered the worship circle.

The songs from Enter the Worship Circle are most often drawn from Psalms. They are simple, intimate, spontaneous expressions of faith. ETWC’s music is an invitation to join them in the honest, joyful worship of believers amazed at the wonder and intimacy of God. According to their website, “the Worship Circle is an unfolding conversation between a small group and a present God”.

The conversation comes in a variety musical forms:

The Four Circles: The genesis of this movement started as a collaboration of Ben and Robin Pasley of 100 Portraits and Don and Lori Chaffer of Waterdeep. The band’s lineup has changed throughout the recording of the four albums. All of the Worship Circle recordings feature all original songs and a very talented collection of friends and fellow worshipers. The music is simple worship music created organically with guitars, violins and many percussive instruments (djembe, bombo, kanjira, tabala, dumbek, dholek, tongue drum, goat toes, cookie sheet) to create a relaxed hippie world vibe that draws the listener into a worship experience.

Village Thrift: The initial recording, Village Thrift: Circa 2005, was one of the best, most innovative recordings of that year. Taking the creative and worship foundation of the Circle recordings, Ben and Robin joined with electronic artists to change the instrumentation from acoustic world to “borrowed (thrift) sounds” electronically manipulated. The result is a singularly unique pop record that exalts the wonder of God. The experience continues in an open, online remix project at Enter The Worshp Circle online

Chair & Microphone: As simple as it sounds, the Chair & Microphone series consists of one artist with an instrument (guitar or piano), a microphone and a worshipful heart. Volumes One through Three of this series have been recorded by Ben Pasley, Aaron Strumpel and Karla Adolphe, respectively. These recordings are unapologetic conversations with God, with an invitation to the listener to find themselves inside of that conversation. Volume One’s “Only Three” is a man’s, man’s worship song. Here is Pasley performing “Memphis” from Chair & Microphone- Vol. 1.

Enter The Worship Circle is an essential piece of the modern worship culture. The group expresses it best in the liner notes inside the First Circle: “Singing Christian songs with enthusiasm is not worship, and neither is bowing reverently in a chapel. True worship can never be a rehearsal of someone else’s experience or tradition. We must hunger to touch God for ourselves!” Enter The Worship Circle’s music is an invitation to worship, a call to participate; it bids you be real before your God.